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Little Susy's Little Servants
Little Susy's Little Servants

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Little Susy's Little Servants is here in full — 23 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Little Susy's Little Servants
Context Illustration Reading 1/4 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?
If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.
No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.
As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.
If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Little Susy's Little Servants

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Little Susy's Little Servants is here in full — 23 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/4 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?
/wel dɪd juː lʊk æt jərˈself ɪn ðə ɡlæs/
Line 2
If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.
/ɪf juː dɪd juː sɔː ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl ʌv jɔːr feɪs jɔːr blæk ɔːr bluː ɔːr ɡreɪ ˈsɜːrvənts jɔːr tuː aɪz/
Line 3
No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.
/noʊ ˈmætər wʌt ˈkʌlər ðeɪ ɑːr wʌn kaɪnd ɪz æz ɡʊd æz əˈnʌðər kaɪnd/
Line 4
As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.
Line 5
If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.
/ɪf ʃiː ˈwɔːntɪd tuː siː hɜːr ˈmɑːmə hɜːr aɪz wʊd nɑːt weɪt fɔːr hɜːr tuː bɪd ðem let hɜːr lʊk æt hɜːr fɔːr ðeɪ nuː hɜːr θɔːts æz wel æz ʃiː nuː ðem hərˈself/

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.

bid verb US /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading “If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.”

busy adjective US /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading “As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.”

color noun US /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading “No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.”

gray noun US /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading “If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.”

hers pronoun US /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading “As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.”

mamma noun US /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading “If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.”

middle noun US /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading “If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.”

servants noun US /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading “If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.”

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.

look at verb + particle

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?”

in the middle preposition + article + noun counted as “in … middle”

In this reading “If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.”

wait for verb + particle

In this reading “If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.”

found out verb + adjective

In this reading “As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

bidverbUS /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

colornounUS /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

glassnounUS /ɡlæs/

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

herspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

mammanounUS /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

servantsnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

Susy

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

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading As soon as Susy found out what hers could do, she kept them very busy indeed.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

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 Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading No matter what color they are; one kind is as good as another kind.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If she wanted to see her mamma, her eyes would not wait for her to bid them let her look at her; for they knew her thoughts as well as she knew them herself.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If you did, you saw in the middle of your face your black, or blue or gray servants, your two eyes.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading Well! did you look at yourself in the glass?

Chapter 2 of Little Susy's Little Servants by E. (Elizabeth) Prentiss holds 23 sentences, grouped into 5 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 2 of Little Susy's Little Servants contain?

Chapter 2 holds 23 sentences of Little Susy's Little Servants, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Little Susy's Little Servants by E. (Elizabeth) Prentiss exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 23 sentences, grouped into 5 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 2 of Little Susy's Little Servants?

Work through the 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 5 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Susy's Little Servants

Common questions about reading Little Susy's Little Servants by E. (Elizabeth) Prentiss on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Little Susy's Little Servants?

Yes. All 926 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37219 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Little Susy's Little Servants is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37219, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Little Susy's Little Servants take to read?

About 77 minutes of reading across 186 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Little Susy's Little Servants section by section

How to work through Little Susy's Little Servants section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Little Susy's Little Servants 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 Susy's Little Servants

Words and structures a reader meets early in Little Susy's Little Servants, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Susy's Little Servants; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mamma
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Susy's Little Servants; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Perhaps
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Susy's Little Servants; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Susy's Little Servants; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.