Chapter 10 of Mushroom Town is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Mushroom Town is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed. He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later. But it was long before he slept. Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house. And he had meant it.
Chapter 10 of Mushroom Town is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
used as expletives
From this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
the act of departing
From this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading “But it was long before he slept.”
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
on a floor above
From this reading “He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.”
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 this reading “He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.”
a reception held in your own home
In this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
reside temporarily
In this reading “Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.”
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 He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
later than; following
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
Having no one else present.
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But it was long before he slept.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it was long before he slept.
used as expletives
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And he had meant it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
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 Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
the act of departing
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
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 But it was long before he slept.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
not any; not one
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading But it was long before he slept.
in the near future
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
on a floor above
From this reading He followed them upstairs himself a few minutes later.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
(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 Perhaps he knew already in his heart that if he really meant that "Damn it, no" he might as well stay at home now instead of leaving June and Minetta alone in the house.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Soon after that John Willie told them it was time they went to bed.
Chapter 10 of Mushroom Town by Oliver Onions holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 10 holds 430 sentences of Mushroom Town, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Mushroom Town by Oliver Onions exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 10 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 Mushroom Town by Oliver Onions on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4729 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39482 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39482, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 394 minutes of reading across 946 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mushroom Town section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Mushroom Town 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 Mushroom Town, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
