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Old Crow
Old Crow

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Old Crow is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Old Crow
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.
I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.
You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.
Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.
I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.
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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.

Old Crow

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Old Crow is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.
Line 2
I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.
Line 3
You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.
Line 4
Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.
Line 5
I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.
/aɪ went θruː ðə wɔːr ɔːl raɪt ɑːn ə ˈprɪti ˈiːvɪn kiːl bɪˈkɔːz aɪ θɔːt aɪ sɔː ə braɪt laɪt æt ðə end/

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.

inevitable adjective US /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/

incapable of being avoided or prevented

From this reading “Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.”

keel noun US /kiːl/

a projection or ridge that suggests a keel

From this reading “I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.”

legs noun US /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

moves noun US /muːvz/

plural of “move” — the act of deciding to do something

From this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

muscles noun US /ˈmʌsəlz/

plural of “muscle” — one of the contractile organs of the body

From this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

nerves noun US /nɜːrvz/

an uneasy psychological state

From this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

somewhere adverb US /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

Wake verb US /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading “V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

move the muscles verb + article + noun counted as “move … muscle”

In this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

reason why noun + noun

In this reading “V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.”

even keel adjective + noun

In this reading “I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.”

perfect stranger adjective + noun

In this reading “I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.”

real reason adjective + noun

In this reading “V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.”

at the end preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.”

went through verb + particle counted as “go through”

undergo or live through a difficult experience

In this reading “I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

HillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

I'll

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

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

I'm

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

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

I've

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

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/

incapable of being avoided or prevented

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

keelnounUS /kiːl/

a projection or ridge that suggests a keel

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.

legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

movesnounUS /muːvz/

plural of “move” — the act of deciding to do something

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

musclesnounUS /ˈmʌsəlz/

plural of “muscle” — one of the contractile organs of the body

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

nervesnounUS /nɜːrvz/

an uneasy psychological state

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Something mighty bad--or it may be merely inevitable--has happened to me.

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

there's

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

From this reading You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

VnounUS /viː/

a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

WakeverbUS /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I went through the War all right, on a pretty even keel, because I thought I saw a bright light at the end.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I've told you I'm going, but just as my nerves move the muscles that move my legs to go, so my will moves my nerves and the me that is inside somewhere and is a perfect stranger to you--and also to the me I am used to myself--moves my will.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading You see, the me inside me knows there's something wrong.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading V "I think I'll tell you the real reason why I'm going to Wake Hill.

Chapter 3 of Old Crow by Alice Brown holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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.

What does chapter 3 of Old Crow contain?

Chapter 3 holds 398 sentences of Old Crow, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Old Crow by Alice Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 3 of Old Crow?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Old Crow

Common questions about reading Old Crow by Alice Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Old Crow?

Yes. All 11881 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31372 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Old Crow is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31372, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Old Crow take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2377 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Old Crow section by section

How to work through Old Crow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of Old Crow 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 Old Crow

Words and structures a reader meets early in Old Crow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Electrotyped
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
October
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Raven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Crow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.