Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Lightfoot the Deer
Lightfoot the Deer

Chapter XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 32 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
The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.
He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.
She wasn't to be seen.
Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.
Almost at once he discovered fresh footprints.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Lightfoot the Deer

Chapter XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of Lightfoot the Deer is here in full — 32 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.
Line 2
He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.
/hiː hæd ˈstoʊlən ˈveri ˈsɔːftli klaʊn tuː ðə ˈlæfɪŋ brʊk ˈhoʊpɪŋ tuː sərˈpraɪz ðə ˈbjuːtəfəl ˈstreɪndʒər ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ðer/
Line 3
She wasn't to be seen.
Line 4
Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.
Line 5
Almost at once he discovered fresh footprints.
/ˈɔːlmoʊst æt wʌns hiː dɪˈskʌvərd freʃ ˈfʊtprɪnts/

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.

Brook noun US /brʊk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading “He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.”

clown noun US /klaʊn/

a rude or vulgar fool

From this reading “He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.”

dainty adjective US /ˈdeɪnti/

delicately beautiful

From this reading “The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.”

Deer noun US /dɪr/

distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers

From this reading “The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.”

footprints noun US /ˈfʊtprɪnts/

plural of “footprint” — a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface

From this reading “The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.”

hoping verb US /ˈhoʊpɪŋ/

-ing form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading “He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.”

prints noun US /prɪnts/

plural of “print” — the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading “Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.”

stolen verb US /ˈstoʊlən/

inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent

From this reading “He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

AlmostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Almost at once he discovered fresh footprints.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading She wasn't to be seen.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

BrooknounUS /brʊk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

clownnounUS /klaʊn/

a rude or vulgar fool

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

daintyadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪnti/

delicately beautiful

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

DeernounUS /dɪr/

distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading Almost at once he discovered fresh footprints.

drinkingnounUS /ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ/

the act of consuming liquids

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

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

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

footprintsnounUS /ˈfʊtprɪnts/

plural of “footprint” — a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

hideverbUS /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

hopingverbUS /ˈhoʊpɪŋ/

-ing form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

LaughingadjectiveUS /ˈlæfɪŋ/

showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

Lightfoot

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

mudnounUS /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Almost at once he discovered fresh footprints.

printsnounUS /prɪnts/

plural of “print” — the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

seekverbUS /siːk/

try to get or reach

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

seekingnounUS /ˈsiːkɪŋ/

the act of searching for something

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading She wasn't to be seen.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She wasn't to be seen.

shocknounUS /ʃɑːk/

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/

with low volume

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

stolenverbUS /ˈstoʊlən/

inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He had stolen very softly clown to the Laughing Brook, hoping to surprise the beautiful stranger drinking there.

wasn't

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

From this reading She wasn't to be seen.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading The game of hide and seek between Lightfoot the Deer and the beautiful stranger whose dainty footprints had first started Lightfoot to seeking her had been going on for several days and nights when Lightfoot found something which gave him a shock.

wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading Lightfoot wondered if she had been there, so looked in the mud at the edge of the Laughing Brook to see if there were any fresh prints of those dainty feet.

Chapter 33 of Lightfoot the Deer by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 32 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 33 of Lightfoot the Deer contain?

Chapter 33 holds 32 sentences of Lightfoot the Deer, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 33 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 32 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 33 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 33 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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.