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Old Granny Fox
Old Granny Fox

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Old Granny Fox is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Old Granny Fox
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.
—_Old Granny Fox_.
Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.
They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.
They had.
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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 Granny Fox

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Old Granny Fox is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.
Line 2
—_Old Granny Fox_.
/oʊld ˈɡræni fɑːks/
Line 3
Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.
Line 4
They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.
/ðeɪ wɜːr ˈtrɑːtɪŋ əˈlɔːŋ kwaɪt æz ɪf ðeɪ hæd meɪd ʌp ðer maɪndz dʒʌst wer ðeɪ wɜːr ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
Line 5
They had.
/ðeɪ hæd/

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.

climb verb US /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading “Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.”

Fox noun US /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading “Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.”

Granny noun US /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.”

Jolly adjective US /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading “Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.”

Meadows noun US /ˈmedoʊz/

plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading “Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.”

spied verb US /spaɪd/

inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of

From this reading “Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.”

tight adjective US /taɪt/

closely constrained or constricted or constricting

From this reading “Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.”

trotting verb US /ˈtrɑːtɪŋ/

inflected form of “trot” — run at a moderately swift pace

From this reading “Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

climbverbUS /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

FoxnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

GrannynounUS /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

HuntingnounUS /ˈhʌntɪŋ/

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

JollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

MeadowsnounUS /ˈmedoʊz/

plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

mindsnounUS /maɪndz/

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading —_Old Granny Fox_.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

Reddy

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

snow-coveredadjective

covered with snow

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

spiedverbUS /spaɪd/

inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

tightadjectiveUS /taɪt/

closely constrained or constricted or constricting

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

trottingverbUS /ˈtrɑːtɪŋ/

inflected form of “trot” — run at a moderately swift pace

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

welladverbUS /wel/

(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 Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied two figures trotting across the snow-covered Green Meadows, one behind the other.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading They were trotting along quite as if they had made up their minds just where they were going.

you're

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

From this reading Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting When you’re in doubt what course is right, The thing to do is just sit tight.

Chapter 1 of Old Granny Fox by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 1 of Old Granny Fox contain?

Chapter 1 holds 48 sentences of Old Granny Fox, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Old Granny Fox by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 1 of Old Granny Fox?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Old Granny Fox

Common questions about reading Old Granny Fox by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Old Granny Fox?

Yes. All 1433 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4980 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Old Granny Fox is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4980, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Old Granny Fox take to read?

About 119 minutes of reading across 287 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Old Granny Fox section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of Old Granny Fox 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 Granny Fox

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

Granny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Granny Fox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reddy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Granny Fox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hunting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Granny Fox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doubt
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Granny Fox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.