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Mrs. Peter Rabbit
Mrs. Peter Rabbit

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mrs. Peter Rabbit
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.
Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.
He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.
He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mrs. Peter Rabbit

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.
/ðə streɪndʒ træks ɪn ðə oʊld ˈpæstʃər huː hæz əˈtentɪv iːr ənd aɪ wɪl lɜːrn ə lɑːt ɪf hiː bʌt traɪ/
Line 2
Peter Rabbit.
/ˈpiːtər ˈræbət/
Line 3
Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.
/ˈpiːtər ˈræbət sterd ənd sterd æt ðə træks ɪn ðə sɑːft mʌd ʌv ðə swɑːmp ɪn ðə oʊld ˈpæstʃər/
Line 4
He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.
/hiː wʊd lʊk fɜːrst æt ðə træks ðen æt hɪz oʊn fiːt ənd ˈfaɪnəli bæk æt ðə træks əˈɡen/
Line 5
He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.
/hiː skrætʃt hɪz lɔːŋ raɪt iːr wɪð hɪz lɔːŋ raɪt haɪnd fʊt/

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.

attentive adjective US /əˈtentɪv/

(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention

From this reading “THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.”

hind noun US /haɪnd/

any of several mostly spotted fishes that resemble groupers

From this reading “He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.”

mud noun US /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading “Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.”

pasture noun US /ˈpæstʃər/

a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock

From this reading “THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.”

Rabbit noun US /ˈræbət/

any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food

From this reading “Peter Rabbit.”

scratched verb US /skrætʃt/

past form of “scratch” — cause friction

From this reading “He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.”

swamp verb US /swɑːmp/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading “Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.”

tracks noun US /træks/

plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading “THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.”

All words in this reading · 44

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 THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.

attentiveadjectiveUS /əˈtentɪv/

(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

earnounUS /iːr/

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

hindnounUS /haɪnd/

any of several mostly spotted fishes that resemble groupers

From this reading He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

learnverbUS /lɜːrn/

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

mudnounUS /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.

OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

PASTUREnounUS /ˈpæstʃər/

a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading Peter Rabbit.

RabbitnounUS /ˈræbət/

any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food

From this reading Peter Rabbit.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.

scratchedverbUS /skrætʃt/

past form of “scratch” — cause friction

From this reading He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.

staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.

STRANGEadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

swampverbUS /swɑːmp/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading Peter Rabbit stared and stared at the tracks in the soft mud of the swamp in the Old Pasture.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

TRACKSnounUS /træks/

plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading THE STRANGE TRACKS IN THE OLD PASTURE Who has attentive ear and eye Will learn a lot if he but try.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He scratched his long right ear with his long right hind foot.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading He would look first at the tracks, then at his own feet, and finally back at the tracks again.

Chapter 8 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 45 sentences, grouped into 9 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 8 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit contain?

Chapter 8 holds 45 sentences of Mrs. Peter Rabbit, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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 8 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Mrs. Peter Rabbit

Common questions about reading Mrs. Peter Rabbit by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mrs. Peter Rabbit?

Yes. All 1264 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5791 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mrs. Peter Rabbit is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5791, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mrs. Peter Rabbit take to read?

About 105 minutes of reading across 253 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mrs. Peter Rabbit section by section

How to work through Mrs. Peter Rabbit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Mrs. Peter Rabbit 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 Mrs. Peter Rabbit

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mrs. Peter Rabbit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Appetite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mrs. Peter Rabbit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
You'll
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mrs. Peter Rabbit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Always
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mrs. Peter Rabbit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Depends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mrs. Peter Rabbit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.