Chapter 22 of Lion Ben of Elm Island is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXII
Chapter 22 of Lion Ben of Elm Island is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BEN’S NOVEL SHIP. It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods. “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?” “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that. I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
Chapter 22 of Lion Ben of Elm Island is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
possessive form of “ben” — a mountain or tall hill
superlative of “cheap” — relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading ““He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.”
ranking above all others
From this reading “I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.”
past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading “I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.”
engage or hire for work
From this reading ““Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?””
(Old Testament) the second patriarch; son of Abraham and Sarah who was offered by Abraham as a sacrifice to God; father of Jacob and Esau
From this reading ““Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?””
a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
From this reading “I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.”
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading ““He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.”
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 this reading “It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.”
In this reading “It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.”
In this reading “I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.”
In this reading “It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.”
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 I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
(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 “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
possessive form of “ben” — a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN’S NOVEL SHIP.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
superlative of “cheap” — relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
ranking above all others
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
engage or hire for work
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
(Old Testament) the second patriarch; son of Abraham and Sarah who was offered by Abraham as a sacrifice to God; father of Jacob and Esau
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading BEN’S NOVEL SHIP.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
transport commercially
From this reading BEN’S NOVEL SHIP.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
the upper part of anything
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
From this reading I’ve seen a man fall spars, so that they all had to be hauled out top foremost; it was like twitching a cat by the tail.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading “He asks great wages, but he’s the cheapest man you can hire, for all that.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading It was now early winter, and the proper time to work in the woods.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you think,” said Ben to Uncle Isaac, “I’d better hire Joe?”
Chapter 22 of Lion Ben of Elm Island by Elijah Kellogg holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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.
Chapter 22 holds 175 sentences of Lion Ben of Elm Island, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 22 of Lion Ben of Elm Island by Elijah Kellogg exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 22 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 Lion Ben of Elm Island by Elijah Kellogg on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2322 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50993 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50993, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 193 minutes of reading across 465 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lion Ben of Elm Island section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Lion Ben of Elm Island 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 Lion Ben of Elm Island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
