Chapter 2 of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories is here in full — 521 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories is here in full — 521 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat. Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say. "I always did like green. I just love it! And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
Chapter 2 of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories is here in full — 521 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/104 · 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.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading “"I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.”
any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species
From this reading “Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.”
the father of your father or mother
From this reading “Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.”
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading “"I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.”
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading “Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.”
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.”
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading “And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.”
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading “And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.”
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 "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "I always did like green.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "I always did like green.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
at any time
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading "I always did like green.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I just love it!
and nothing more
From this reading I just love it!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "I always did like green.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading I just love it!
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
express in words
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
precisely as stated
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
a man's sleeveless garment worn underneath a coat
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
a Caucasian
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading And I should think you would be ever so proud of your white and yellow waistcoat.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I didn't mean to say that you haven't got a handsome coat.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Your coat _is_ handsome, very handsome indeed, Grandfather Frog," Peter hastened to say.
Chapter 2 of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 521 sentences, grouped into 105 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 2 holds 521 sentences of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories, unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 521 sentences, grouped into 105 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 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 105 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 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.
Common questions about reading Mother West Wind "Why" Stories by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1552 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14958 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14958, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 129 minutes of reading across 311 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mother West Wind "Why" Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Mother West Wind "Why" Stories 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 Mother West Wind "Why" Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
