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O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of O Pioneers! is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for O Pioneers!
Context Illustration Reading 1/100 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.
It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.
The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.
Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.
It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

O Pioneers!

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of O Pioneers! is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/100 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.
Line 2
It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.
Line 3
The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.
Line 4
Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.
Line 5
It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

All words in this reading · 76

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.

101st

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

a

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

accompanied

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

afternoon

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

Alexandra

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

and

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

as

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

at

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

barn

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

been

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

bench

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

black

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

blown

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

boots

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

bringing

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

buffalo-skin

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

burst

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

but

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

by

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

clouds

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

coat

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

cobbler's

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

cold

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

come

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

day

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

fingers

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

five

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

had

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

harness

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

her

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

himself

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

his

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

I

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

if

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

in

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

into

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

It

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

Ivar

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

lantern

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

light

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

man

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

man's

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

mending

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

mid-October

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

o'clock

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

occasionally

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

of

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

old

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

only

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

over

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

overcoat

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

pair

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

Psalm

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

rain

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

rain-drops

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

repeating

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

she

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

shed

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

shoes

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

shower

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

Signa

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

sitting

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

stopped

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

storm

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

Suddenly

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

the

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

to

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

torrents

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

up

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

warm

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

was

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

From this reading Alexandra I Ivar was sitting at a cobbler’s bench in the barn, mending harness by the light of a lantern and repeating to himself the 101st Psalm.

wearing

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

wind

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

From this reading It was only five o’clock of a mid-October day, but a storm had come up in the afternoon, bringing black clouds, a cold wind and torrents of rain.

woman

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

From this reading Suddenly a woman burst into the shed, as if she had been blown in, accompanied by a shower of rain-drops.

wore

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

From this reading The old man wore his buffalo-skin coat, and occasionally stopped to warm his fingers at the lantern.

wrapped

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

From this reading It was Signa, wrapped in a man’s overcoat and wearing a pair of boots over her shoes.

Chapter 5 of O Pioneers! by Willa Cather holds 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 5 of O Pioneers! contain?

Chapter 5 holds 500 sentences of O Pioneers!, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of O Pioneers! by Willa Cather exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 5 of O Pioneers!?

Work through the 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 100 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 O Pioneers!

Common questions about reading O Pioneers! by Willa Cather on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of O Pioneers!?

Yes. All 3971 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of O Pioneers! is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does O Pioneers! take to read?

About 330 minutes of reading across 795 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read O Pioneers! section by section

How to work through O Pioneers! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of O Pioneers! 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 O Pioneers!

Words and structures a reader meets early in O Pioneers!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

January
A word that appears in the opening chapter of O Pioneers!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thirty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of O Pioneers!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of O Pioneers!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of O Pioneers!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.