Chapter 3 of Little By Little is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Little By Little is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS. "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously. "I don't know; can't make him out." "What can he want with us?" "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
Chapter 3 of Little By Little is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading “"Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.”
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading “PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.”
third-person singular of “hear” — perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.”
information about recent and important events
From this reading “PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.”
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading “PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.”
an easy victory
From this reading “"Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."”
material for starting a fire
From this reading “"Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."”
male cat
From this reading “"Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.”
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 "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
later than; following
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "What can he want with us?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
a boy or man
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What can he want with us?"
third-person singular of “hear” — perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
engage in
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
information about recent and important events
From this reading PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "I don't know; can't make him out."
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading PAUL HEARS BAD NEWS.
by chance
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
an easy victory
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
material for starting a fire
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
express in words
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
male cat
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "What can he want with us?"
precisely as stated
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "What can he want with us?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What can he want with us?"
which person or people
From this reading "Who is it, Tom?" asked Paul, very anxiously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What can he want with us?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Perhaps your mother has sent him after her runaway boy; but whoever he is, I will tell him you are a fellow of the right spunk."
Chapter 3 of Little By Little by Oliver Optic holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 3 holds 150 sentences of Little By Little, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Little By Little by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 3 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 By Little by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22365 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22365, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 211 minutes of reading across 509 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Little By Little section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Little By Little 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 By Little, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
