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Mother Stories
Mother Stories

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Mother Stories is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mother Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.
At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.
"You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.
Just let me tell you something about her."
So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.
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.

Mother Stories

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Mother Stories is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.
/ɪt maɪt hæv bɪn ðə ˈveri nekst deɪ ðæt ˈɡrændmʌðər tʊk hɜːr ˈnɪtɪŋ tuː ðə ˈsʌmər haʊs/
Line 2
At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.
/æt ɔːl ɪˈvents ɪt wɑːz ˈveri suːn ənd waɪl ʃiː ənd ˈlɪndzi wɜːr ˈwʌndərɪŋ wen ðə red roʊz bʊʃ wʊd biː ɪn fʊl bluːm ˈlɪndzi sɔː kloʊs ʌp tuː ðə ruːf ə kwɪr ˈlɪtəl haʊs laɪk ə roʊl ʌv ˈkrʌmpəld ˈpeɪpər wɪð ə ɡreɪt ˈmeni frʌnt dɔːrz ənd ʌv kɔːrs hiː ˈwɔːntɪd tuː noʊ huː lɪvd ðer/
Line 3
"You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.
/juː mʌst nɑːt nɑːk æt ˈeni ʌv ðoʊz frʌnt dɔːrz ædˈvaɪzd ˈɡrændmʌðər bɪˈkɔːz ˈmɪsɪz wɑːsp lɪvz ðer ənd maɪt nɑːt ˌʌndərˈstænd ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ɪf juː let hɜːr əˈloʊn ʃiː wɪl nɑːt hɜːrt juː/
Line 4
Just let me tell you something about her."
/dʒʌst let miː tel juː ˈsʌmθɪŋ əˈbaʊt hɜːr/
Line 5
So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.
/soʊ ˈlɪndzi ˈlɪsənd waɪl ˈɡrændmʌðər toʊld ðə ˈstɔːri wʌns ðer wɑːz ə ˈlɪtəl elf huː lɪvd ɪn ðə hɑːrt ʌv ə braɪt red roʊz dʒʌst laɪk ðə ˈroʊzɪz wiː hæv bɪn ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt/

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.

advised adjective US /ædˈvaɪzd/

having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel

From this reading “"You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.”

bloom noun US /bluːm/

the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading “At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.”

crumpled adjective US /ˈkrʌmpəld/

of metal e.g.

From this reading “At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.”

elf noun US /elf/

(folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous

From this reading “So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.”

Grandmother noun US /ˈɡrændmʌðər/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.”

knitting noun US /ˈnɪtɪŋ/

needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine

From this reading “It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.”

Lindsay noun US /ˈlɪndzi/

United States playwright who collaborated with Russel Crouse on several musicals (1889-1931)

From this reading “At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.”

Wasp noun US /wɑːsp/

a white person of Anglo-Saxon ancestry who belongs to a Protestant denomination

From this reading “"You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.”

All words in this reading · 94

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 At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Just let me tell you something about her."

advisedadjectiveUS /ædˈvaɪzd/

having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

bloomnounUS /bluːm/

the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

bushnounUS /bʊʃ/

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

crumpledadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌmpəld/

of metal e.g.

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/

plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

elfnounUS /elf/

(folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

GrandmothernounUS /ˈɡrændmʌðər/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Just let me tell you something about her."

knittingnounUS /ˈnɪtɪŋ/

needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

knockverbUS /nɑːk/

deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

LindsaynounUS /ˈlɪndzi/

United States playwright who collaborated with Russel Crouse on several musicals (1889-1931)

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Just let me tell you something about her."

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

queeradjectiveUS /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

rollverbUS /roʊl/

move by turning over or rotating

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

rosesnounUS /ˈroʊzɪz/

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Just let me tell you something about her."

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading Just let me tell you something about her."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading It might have been the very next day that Grandmother took her knitting to the summer house.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

WaspnounUS /wɑːsp/

a white person of Anglo-Saxon ancestry who belongs to a Protestant denomination

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading So Lindsay listened while Grandmother told the story:-- Once there was a little elf, who lived in the heart of a bright red rose, just like the roses we have been talking about.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

wonderingadjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/

showing curiosity

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading At all events it was very soon; and while she and Lindsay were wondering when the red rose bush would be in full bloom, Lindsay saw, close up to the roof, a queer little house, like a roll of crumpled paper, with a great many front doors; and, of course, he wanted to know who lived there.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You must not knock at any of those front doors," advised Grandmother, "because Mrs. Wasp lives there, and might not understand; although if you let her alone she will not hurt you.

Chapter 3 of Mother Stories by Maud Lindsay holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 3 of Mother Stories contain?

Chapter 3 holds 31 sentences of Mother Stories, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Mother Stories by Maud Lindsay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 3 of Mother Stories?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Mother Stories

Common questions about reading Mother Stories by Maud Lindsay on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mother Stories?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mother Stories is used?

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

How long does Mother Stories take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mother Stories section by section

How to work through Mother Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Mother Stories 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 Mother Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mother Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Mother Stories, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Mother Stories, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Mother Stories, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.