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Old Granny Fox
Old Granny Fox

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 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
Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.
—_Old Granny Fox_.
Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.
You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.
That was why he was afraid to go home.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 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
Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.
Line 2
—_Old Granny Fox_.
/oʊld ˈɡræni fɑːks/
Line 3
Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.
Line 4
You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.
Line 5
That was why he was afraid to go home.
/ðæt wɑːz waɪ hiː wɑːz əˈfreɪd tuː ɡoʊ hoʊm/

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.

chicken noun US /ˈtʃɪkən/

the flesh of a chicken used for food

From this reading “Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.”

dined verb US /daɪnd/

past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner

From this reading “You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.”

Duck verb US /dʌk/

to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away

From this reading “You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.”

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 “Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.”

Granny noun US /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “—_Old Granny Fox_.”

hunted adjective US /ˈhʌntəd/

reflecting the fear or terror of one who is hunted

From this reading “Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.”

puts noun US /pʊts/

plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date

From this reading “Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.”

track noun US /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading “Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

AfraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

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 You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

BigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

chickennounUS /ˈtʃɪkən/

the flesh of a chicken used for food

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

dinedverbUS /daɪnd/

past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

DuckverbUS /dʌk/

to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

faultnounUS /fɔːlt/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

ForestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

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 Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

GrannynounUS /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading —_Old Granny Fox_.

GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

hadn't

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

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

HomenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

huntedadjectiveUS /ˈhʌntəd/

reflecting the fear or terror of one who is hunted

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

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 You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

putsnounUS /pʊts/

plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

Quacker

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

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

Reddy

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

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

RivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Reddy Fox thought of that saying many times as he hunted through the Green Forest that night, afraid to go home.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

whynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading That was why he was afraid to go home.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Reddy Fox Is Afraid To Go Home Yes, Sir, a chicken track is good to see, but it often puts nothing but water in my mouth.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see, he had almost dined on Quacker the Duck over at the Big River that day and then hadn’t, and it was all his own fault.

Chapter 4 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 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 4 of Old Granny Fox contain?

Chapter 4 holds 48 sentences of Old Granny Fox, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Old Granny Fox by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the 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 4 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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, unabridged. 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.