Chapter 12 of Mary Louise in the Country is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Mary Louise in the Country is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked. Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded: "Who is there?" Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her. "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
Chapter 12 of Mary Louise in the Country is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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 high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading “BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.”
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading “"I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.”
(used in the plural) a small metal weapon; worn over the knuckles on the back of the hand
From this reading “Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:”
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading “BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.”
past form of “pound” — hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
From this reading “Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:”
reject outright and bluntly
From this reading “BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.”
-ing form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.”
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 Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
anew
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
in a diffident manner
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who is there?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
(used in the plural) a small metal weapon; worn over the knuckles on the back of the hand
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
accept an excuse for
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
past form of “pound” — hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
reject outright and bluntly
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
-ing form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
a man's full-dress jacket with two long tapering tails at the back
From this reading Instead of replying, Josie knocked again, and suddenly the door was opened and Old Swallowtail stood before her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Who is there?"
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BLUFF AND REBUFF The door was locked.
which person or people
From this reading "Who is there?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Immediately Josie pounded upon it with her knuckles and a voice demanded:
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I--I beg your pardon," said she diffidently; "are you the real estate man?"
Chapter 12 of Mary Louise in the Country by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum holds 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 12 holds 113 sentences of Mary Louise in the Country, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Mary Louise in the Country by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 12 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 Mary Louise in the Country by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3356 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22225 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22225, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 279 minutes of reading across 672 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mary Louise in the Country section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Mary Louise in the Country 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 Mary Louise in the Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
