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Mrs. Peter Rabbit
Mrs. Peter Rabbit

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mrs. Peter Rabbit
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.
Peter Rabbit.
Peter Rabbit was feeling better.
Certainly he was looking better.
You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.
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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 XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit 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
PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.
Line 2
Peter Rabbit.
/ˈpiːtər ˈræbət/
Line 3
Peter Rabbit was feeling better.
/ˈpiːtər ˈræbət wɑːz ˈfiːlɪŋ ˈbetər/
Line 4
Certainly he was looking better.
/ˈsɜːrtənli hiː wɑːz ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈbetər/
Line 5
You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

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.

denying verb US /dɪˈnaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading “PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.”

keeping noun US /ˈkiːpɪŋ/

conformity or harmony

From this reading “You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.”

meets noun US /miːts/

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading “PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.”

neat adjective US /niːt/

clean or organized

From this reading “You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.”

peter noun US /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 MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.”

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.”

tidy adjective US /ˈtaɪdi/

marked by order and cleanliness in appearance or habits

From this reading “You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.”

trying adjective US /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading “PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Peter Rabbit was feeling better.

CertainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Certainly he was looking better.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

denyingverbUS /dɪˈnaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Peter Rabbit was feeling better.

FUZZYTAIL

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Certainly he was looking better.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

keepingnounUS /ˈkiːpɪŋ/

conformity or harmony

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

knewverbUS /nuː/

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 You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Certainly he was looking better.

MEETSnounUS /miːts/

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

MISSverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

NaturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

neatadjectiveUS /niːt/

clean or organized

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

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 MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

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.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

there's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

tidyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪdi/

marked by order and cleanliness in appearance or habits

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Peter Rabbit was feeling better.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading PETER MEETS MISS FUZZYTAIL That this is true there's no denying-- There's nothing in the world like trying.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see, just as soon as Old Mother Nature saw that Peter was trying to look as well as he could, and was keeping himself as neat and tidy as he knew how, she was ready to help, as she always is.

Chapter 17 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 17 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit contain?

Chapter 17 holds 31 sentences of Mrs. Peter Rabbit, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 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 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 17 of Mrs. Peter Rabbit?

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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.