Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays
Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ada M. (Ada Maria)[Editor] Skinner • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays
Context Illustration Reading 1/100 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.
“Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!
Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”
Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.
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 Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/100 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.
Line 2
“Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!
/kwaɪt laɪk ə ˈstɑːkɪŋ hiː læft pɪnd ʌp ðer ɑːn ðə triː/
Line 3
Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”
/ˈlɪtəl aɪ θɔːt ðə bɜːrdz ɪkˈspektəd ə ˈprezənt frʌm miː/
Line 4
Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.
Line 5
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

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.

bethlehem noun US /ˈbeθlɪhem/

a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production

From this reading “THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bough noun US /baʊ/

any of the larger branches of a tree

From this reading “Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fading noun US /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/

weakening in force or intensity

From this reading “Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flakes noun US /fleɪks/

plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow

From this reading “Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kriss noun US /krɪs/

plural of “kris” — a Malayan dagger with a wavy blade

From this reading “Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pinned verb US /pɪnd/

inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving

From this reading ““Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skinner noun US /ˈskɪnər/

United States actor (1858-1942)

From this reading “THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stocking noun US /ˈstɑːkɪŋ/

close-fitting hosiery to cover the foot and leg; come in matched pairs (usually used in the plural)

From this reading “Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.”

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.

looked around verb + particle counted as “look around”

look about oneself

In this reading “Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.”

15,666 times in 426,211 chapters
precious things adjective + noun

In this reading “Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.”

612 times in 426,211 chapters
in the East preposition + article + noun counted as “in … east”

In this reading “THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.”

8,330 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 74

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 “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AmidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BETHLEHEMnounUS /ˈbeθlɪhem/

a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boughnounUS /baʊ/

any of the larger branches of a tree

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
childhood's

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

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Pending verification
doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DroppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ELEANOR

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

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

Pending verification
elm-tree

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

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Pending verification
emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ExpectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fadingnounUS /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/

weakening in force or intensity

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flakesnounUS /fleɪks/

plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handfulnounUS /ˈhændfʊl/

a small number or amount

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HighadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
jokenounUS /dʒoʊk/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kringle

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

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Pending verification
KrissnounUS /krɪs/

plural of “kris” — a Malayan dagger with a wavy blade

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LittleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lovesnounUS /lʌvz/

plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mistyadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsti/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nestnounUS /nest/

a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

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 Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oriole's

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

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Pending verification
PinnedverbUS /pɪnd/

inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/

characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
QuiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
radiantadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdiːənt/

radiating or as if radiating light

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ringsnounUS /rɪŋz/

gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SilentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/

marked by absence of sound

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SKINNERnounUS /ˈskɪnər/

United States actor (1858-1942)

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STARnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stockingnounUS /ˈstɑːkɪŋ/

close-fitting hosiery to cover the foot and leg; come in matched pairs (usually used in the plural)

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stuffedadjectiveUS /stʌft/

filled with something

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

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 Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Little I thought the birds Expected a present from me!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, “Pinned up there on the tree!

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 Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves A joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes In the oriole’s empty nest.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Just as the moon was fading Amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed With childhood’s precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked around, And saw on the elm-tree bough, High hung, an oriole’s nest, Silent and empty now.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ELEANOR L. SKINNER The radiant star in the East had done its work.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 4 of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays by Ada M. (Ada Maria)[Editor] Skinner holds 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 4 of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays contain?

Chapter 4 holds 500 sentences of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays by Ada M. (Ada Maria)[Editor] Skinner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 4 of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays?

Work through the 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 100 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays

Common questions about reading Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays by Ada M. (Ada Maria)[Editor] Skinner on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays?

Yes. All 3111 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52231 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52231, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 623 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays section by section

How to work through Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays

Words and structures a reader meets early in Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Folks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Christmas
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.