Chapter 20 of Little Alfred is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Little Alfred is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS. These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down. BABES IN THE WOOD. ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke xv, 10.
Chapter 20 of Little Alfred is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading “ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.””
plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading “ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.””
plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.”
(New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
From this reading “Luke xv, 10.”
past form of “preach” — deliver a sermon
From this reading “ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.””
plural of “runaway” — an easy victory
From this reading “JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.”
a person who sins (without repenting)
From this reading “ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.””
migratory
From this reading “These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.”
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 “ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.””
In this reading “JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Luke xv, 10.
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.
(New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
From this reading Luke xv, 10.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
above and across; more than
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
past form of “preach” — deliver a sermon
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
plural of “runaway” — an easy victory
From this reading JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.
express in words
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
a person who sins (without repenting)
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading JOY IN HEAVEN—THE LITTLE RUNAWAYS.
in or at that place or location
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
an old word for “to”
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
migratory
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
at the time that
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading BABES IN THE WOOD.
the words that are spoken
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading Luke xv, 10.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ONE day, when Alfred was at church, the minister preached from the words, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
Chapter 20 of Little Alfred by L. A. (Lydia Austin), -1879 Holdich holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 20 holds 44 sentences of Little Alfred, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Little Alfred by L. A. (Lydia Austin), -1879 Holdich exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 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.
Common questions about reading Little Alfred by L. A. (Lydia Austin), -1879 Holdich on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1165 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62941 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62941, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 97 minutes of reading across 233 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Little Alfred section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Little Alfred 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 Little Alfred, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
