Chapter 4 of Maybee's Stepping-Stones is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Maybee's Stepping-Stones is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle. “Never mind; come right along. What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?” She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew. She _had_ said “Mind Aunt Cynthia.”
Chapter 4 of Maybee's Stepping-Stones is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading ““Never mind; come right along.”
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “She _had_ said “Mind Aunt Cynthia.””
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading ““I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.”
(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana
From this reading “She _had_ said “Mind Aunt Cynthia.””
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading ““I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.”
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading “She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.”
-ing form of “thread” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading ““I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.”
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading “What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?””
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.
in a state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement
In this reading “She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.”
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.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “Never mind; come right along.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading She _had_ said “Mind Aunt Cynthia.”
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Never mind; come right along.
(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana
From this reading She _had_ said “Mind Aunt Cynthia.”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She _had_ said “Mind Aunt Cynthia.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
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 She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “Never mind; come right along.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Never mind; come right along.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “Never mind; come right along.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
express in words
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She would say “Put them in order,” Maybee knew.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
-ing form of “thread” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading “I’m busy,” said Maybee, threading her needle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What would your mother say to things being tumbled in this way?”
Chapter 4 of Maybee's Stepping-Stones by Archie Fell holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 4 holds 403 sentences of Maybee's Stepping-Stones, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Maybee's Stepping-Stones by Archie Fell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 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.
Common questions about reading Maybee's Stepping-Stones by Archie Fell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3171 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48375 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48375, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 264 minutes of reading across 635 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Maybee's Stepping-Stones section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Maybee's Stepping-Stones 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 Maybee's Stepping-Stones, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
