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Little Bessie, the Careless Girl
Little Bessie, the Careless Girl

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Josephine Franklin • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Little Bessie, the Careless Girl
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LOST.
"I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.
"I have hunted high and low.
I cannot find it anywhere."
Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.
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.

Little Bessie, the Careless Girl

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LOST.
/lɔːst/
Line 2
"I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.
Line 3
"I have hunted high and low.
/aɪ hæv ˈhʌntəd haɪ ənd loʊ/
Line 4
I cannot find it anywhere."
Line 5
Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.
/hɜːr ˈmʌðər huːz helθ wɑːz naʊ ˈɡreɪtli ˌɪmˈpruːvɪŋ wɑːz ˈsɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈkɪtʃən baɪ ðə ˈbleɪzɪŋ ˈfaɪər fɔːr ðə ˈweðər wɑːz ˈɡrædʒuːəli ˈɡroʊɪŋ ˈkoʊldər ənd ðə lɔːɡz wɜːr paɪld ʌp ə ˈlɪtəl ˈhaɪər ɑːn ðə hɑːrθ deɪ baɪ deɪ/

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.

blazing adjective US /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
colder adjective US /ˈkoʊldər/

comparative of “cold” — having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fishing noun US /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading “"I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hearth noun US /hɑːrθ/

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hunted adjective US /ˈhʌntəd/

reflecting the fear or terror of one who is hunted

From this reading “"I have hunted high and low.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
improving adjective US /ˌɪmˈpruːvɪŋ/

getting higher or more vigorous

From this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
logs noun US /lɔːɡz/

plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches

From this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
piled verb US /paɪld/

past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks

From this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

on the hearth preposition + article + noun counted as “on … hearth”

In this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

3,759 times in 426,212 chapters
fishing party noun + noun

In this reading “"I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.”

169 times in 426,212 chapters
in the kitchen preposition + article + noun counted as “in … kitchen”

In this reading “Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.”

12,206 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 49

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 "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I have hunted high and low.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading I cannot find it anywhere."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bessie

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

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Pending verification
blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/

shining intensely

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CAN'T

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

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Pending verification
cannot

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

From this reading I cannot find it anywhere."

Pending verification
colderadjectiveUS /ˈkoʊldər/

comparative of “cold” — having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fishingnounUS /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
graduallyadverbUS /ˈɡrædʒuːəli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I have hunted high and low.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hearthnounUS /hɑːrθ/

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading "I have hunted high and low.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
higheradjectiveUS /ˈhaɪər/

advanced in complexity or elaboration

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
huntedadjectiveUS /ˈhʌntəd/

reflecting the fear or terror of one who is hunted

From this reading "I have hunted high and low.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
improvingadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvɪŋ/

getting higher or more vigorous

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
logsnounUS /lɔːɡz/

plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LOSTadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading LOST.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading "I have hunted high and low.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
piledverbUS /paɪld/

past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I CAN'T find it," said Bessie, about a month after the fishing party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Her mother, whose health was now greatly improving, was sitting in the kitchen by the blazing fire, for the weather was gradually growing colder, and the logs were piled up a little higher on the hearth, day by day.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 5 of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl by Josephine Franklin holds 165 sentences, grouped into 33 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.

What does chapter 5 of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl contain?

Chapter 5 holds 165 sentences of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl by Josephine Franklin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 165 sentences, grouped into 33 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 5 of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Little Bessie, the Careless Girl

Common questions about reading Little Bessie, the Careless Girl by Josephine Franklin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl?

Yes. All 1111 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43807 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43807, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Little Bessie, the Careless Girl take to read?

About 92 minutes of reading across 223 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Little Bessie, the Careless Girl section by section

How to work through Little Bessie, the Careless Girl section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Little Bessie, the Careless Girl

Words and structures a reader meets early in Little Bessie, the Careless Girl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Martin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nelly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Squirrels
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Bessie, the Careless Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.