Chapter 2 of National Rhymes of the Nursery is here in full — 350 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of National Rhymes of the Nursery is here in full — 350 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Petrum, &c. When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones. Petrum, &c. When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread. Petrum, &c.
Chapter 2 of National Rhymes of the Nursery is here in full — 350 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/70 · 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.
produce or yield flowers
From this reading “When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.”
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading “When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.”
possessive form of “book” — a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading “When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.”
possessive form of “cherry” — wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry
From this reading “When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.”
possessive form of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading “When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.”
possessive form of “sheep” — woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading “When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.”
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading “When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.”
a fabric made from the hair of sheep
From this reading “When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.”
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.
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
produce or yield flowers
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
possessive form of “book” — a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading Petrum, &c.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
possessive form of “cherry” — wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
possessive form of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
not any; not one
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Petrum, &c.
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
possessive form of “sheep” — woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
in or at that place or location
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
at the time that
From this reading When the chicken's in the egg-shell, there are no bones; When the cherry's in the blossom, there are no stones.
a fabric made from the hair of sheep
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading When the book's in ye press no man it can read; When the wool is on the sheep's back, there is no thread.
Chapter 2 of National Rhymes of the Nursery by Various holds 350 sentences, grouped into 70 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 350 sentences of National Rhymes of the Nursery, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of National Rhymes of the Nursery by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 350 sentences, grouped into 70 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 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 70 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 National Rhymes of the Nursery by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1320 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36685 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36685, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 110 minutes of reading across 264 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through National Rhymes of the Nursery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of National Rhymes of the Nursery 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 National Rhymes of the Nursery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
