Chapter 17 of Little Bobtail is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Little Bobtail is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT. "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her. "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey. "She will put into Rockland or Camden. I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
Chapter 17 of Little Bobtail is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/45 · 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.
a city in southwestern New Jersey on the Delaware River near Philadelphia
From this reading “"She will put into Rockland or Camden.”
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading “I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.”
having the identity known or established
From this reading “"That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.”
any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)
From this reading “"She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.”
offensive or even (of persons) malicious
From this reading “"She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.”
a port city in southeastern Wales
From this reading “I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.”
a member of the Algonquian people belonging to the Abnaki confederacy and living in the Penobscot valley in northern Maine
From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.”
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading “THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.”
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 "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
a short or shortened tail of certain animals
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
a city in southwestern New Jersey on the Delaware River near Philadelphia
From this reading "She will put into Rockland or Camden.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
having the identity known or established
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "She will put into Rockland or Camden.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
offensive or even (of persons) malicious
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
a port city in southeastern Wales
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "She will put into Rockland or Camden.
a member of the Algonquian people belonging to the Abnaki confederacy and living in the Penobscot valley in northern Maine
From this reading THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "She will put into Rockland or Camden.
any competition
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "She will put into Rockland or Camden.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
in the near future
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
express a supposition
From this reading I suppose the colonel is in a hurry to get to Newport for some race.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's the Penobscot!" exclaimed Bobtail, as soon as he identified her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "She is taking a nasty night to go to sea," added Monkey.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "She will put into Rockland or Camden.
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading THE WRECK OF THE PENOBSCOT.
Chapter 17 of Little Bobtail by Oliver Optic holds 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 17 holds 227 sentences of Little Bobtail, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Little Bobtail by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 46 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 17 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 Bobtail by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3946 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25466 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25466, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 328 minutes of reading across 790 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Little Bobtail section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Little Bobtail 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 Bobtail, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
