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Little Miss By-The-Day
Little Miss By-The-Day

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Little Miss By-The-Day is here in full — 784 sentences across 157 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Little Miss By-The-Day
Context Illustration Reading 1/156 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.
The early sun was streaming in her eyes.
She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.
At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.
On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.
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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 Miss By-The-Day

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Little Miss By-The-Day is here in full — 784 sentences across 157 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/156 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.
Line 2
The early sun was streaming in her eyes.
/ðə ˈɜːrli sʌn wɑːz ˈstriːmɪŋ ɪn hɜːr aɪz/
Line 3
She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.
Line 4
At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.
Line 5
On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

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.

droll adjective US /droʊl/

comical in an odd or whimsical manner

From this reading “At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.”

dumped verb US /dʌmpt/

past form of “dump” — throw away as refuse

From this reading “On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.”

feathery adjective US /ˈfeðəri/

resembling or suggesting a feather or feathers

From this reading “At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.”

Felicia noun US /fəˈliːʃə/

genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs with usually blue flowers

From this reading “THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.”

puppy noun US /ˈpʌpi/

a young dog

From this reading “At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.”

russet noun US /ˈrʌsɪt/

a reddish brown homespun fabric

From this reading “On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.”

wagging verb US /ˈwæɡɪŋ/

inflected form of “wag” — move from side to side

From this reading “At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.”

yawning adjective US /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/

gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something

From this reading “At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

amusingadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/

providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

Babiche

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

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

beautifullyadverbUS /ˈbjuːtəfli/

in a beautiful manner

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

can't

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

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

DaynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

drolladjectiveUS /droʊl/

comical in an odd or whimsical manner

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

drowsilyadverb

in a drowsy manner

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

dumpedverbUS /dʌmpt/

past form of “dump” — throw away as refuse

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

featheryadjectiveUS /ˈfeðəri/

resembling or suggesting a feather or feathers

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

FelicianounUS /fəˈliːʃə/

genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs with usually blue flowers

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

gaped

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

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

heapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

humpy

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

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

imagineverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒən/

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

limpverbUS /lɪmp/

walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

puppynounUS /ˈpʌpi/

a young dog

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

reflexing

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

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

rubbedverbUS /rʌbd/

inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

russetnounUS /ˈrʌsɪt/

a reddish brown homespun fabric

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

satisfactionnounUS /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

SONGnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

streamingadjectiveUS /ˈstriːmɪŋ/

exuding a bodily fluid in profuse amounts

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/

act of expanding by lengthening or widening

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

tailnounUS /teɪl/

the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

UNFINISHEDadjectiveUS /ənˈfɪnɪʃt/

not brought to the desired final state

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed.

waggingverbUS /ˈwæɡɪŋ/

inflected form of “wag” — move from side to side

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The early sun was streaming in her eyes.

weeadjectiveUS /wiː/

(used informally) very small

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading On the floor the russet bag gaped open where Felicia had dumped it the night before; her clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

yawningadjectiveUS /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/

gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something

From this reading At the foot of the bed Babiche awoke too, yawning and stretching beautifully, reflexing her droll puppy body and wagging her wee feathery tail.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE UNFINISHED SONG You can't imagine anything more amusing than the satisfaction with which Felicia Day awoke.

Chapter 4 of Little Miss By-The-Day by Lucille Van Slyke holds 784 sentences, grouped into 157 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Miss By-The-Day contain?

Chapter 4 holds 784 sentences of Little Miss By-The-Day, unabridged, divided into 157 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Little Miss By-The-Day by Lucille Van Slyke exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 784 sentences, grouped into 157 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 Miss By-The-Day?

Work through the 157 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 157 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 Miss By-The-Day

Common questions about reading Little Miss By-The-Day by Lucille Van Slyke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Little Miss By-The-Day?

Yes. All 3456 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6002 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Little Miss By-The-Day is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6002, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Little Miss By-The-Day take to read?

About 288 minutes of reading across 692 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Little Miss By-The-Day section by section

How to work through Little Miss By-The-Day section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of Little Miss By-The-Day 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 Miss By-The-Day

Words and structures a reader meets early in Little Miss By-The-Day, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Distinctly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Miss By-The-Day; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Droll
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Miss By-The-Day; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Miss By-The-Day; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Child
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Miss By-The-Day; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.