Chapter 1 of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=). OLD SLEUTH’S OWN. No. 137. 10 CENTS. NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.
Chapter 1 of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 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.
plural of “cent” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading “10 CENTS.”
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany; 34th President of the United States (1890-1961)
From this reading “NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.”
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
moving quickly and lightly
From this reading “NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.”
the words of something written
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading “NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.”
plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 10 CENTS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No. 137.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
fearless and daring
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
plural of “cent” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading 10 CENTS.
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
be identical or equivalent to
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany; 34th President of the United States (1890-1961)
From this reading NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
moving quickly and lightly
From this reading NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.
not any; not one
From this reading No. 137.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading OLD SLEUTH’S OWN.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading OLD SLEUTH’S OWN.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OLD SLEUTH’S OWN.
the words of something written
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.
plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
a performer who projects the voice into a wooden dummy
From this reading NIMBLE IKE, THE Trick Ventriloquist.
Chapter 1 of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist by Old Sleuth holds 13 sentences, grouped into 3 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 1 holds 13 sentences of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist by Old Sleuth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 13 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 3 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 1 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 Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist by Old Sleuth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3071 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67179 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67179, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 255 minutes of reading across 615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist 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 Nimble Ike, the Trick Ventriloquist, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
