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Old Granny Fox
Old Granny Fox

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Old Granny Fox is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Old Granny Fox
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.
—_Old Granny Fox_.
There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:
You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”
Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Old Granny Fox

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Old Granny Fox is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.
/oʊld ˈɡræni fɑːks ɪz kɑːt ˈnæpɪŋ ðə ˈwaɪzəst foʊks wɪl meɪk mɪˈsteɪks bʌt ɪf ðeɪ ɑːr ˈtruːli waɪz ðeɪ wɪl ˈprɑːfət frʌm ðem/
Line 2
—_Old Granny Fox_.
/oʊld ˈɡræni fɑːks/
Line 3
There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:
/ðer ɪz ə ˈseɪɪŋ əˈmʌŋ ðə ˈlɪtəl ˈpiːpəl ʌv ðə ɡriːn ˈfɔːrəst ənd ðə ɡriːn ˈmedoʊz wɪtʃ rʌnz ˈsʌmθɪŋ laɪk ðɪs/
Line 4
You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”
/juː mʌst jɔːr aɪz waɪd ˈoʊ.pən kiːp tuː kætʃ oʊld ˈɡræni fɑːks əˈsliːp/
Line 5
Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.
/ʌv kɔːrs ðɪs miːnz ðæt oʊld ˈɡræni fɑːks ɪz soʊ smɑːrt soʊ ˈklevər soʊ ˈkiːnli ɑːn ðə wɑːtʃ æt ɔːl taɪmz ðæt hiː mʌst biː ˈveri smɑːrt ˌɪnˈdiːd huː fuːlz hɜːr ɔːr ɡets əˈhed ʌv hɜːr/

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.

fools noun US /fuːlz/

plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading “Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.”

Granny noun US /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.”

keenly adverb US /ˈkiːnli/

in a keen or penetrating way

From this reading “Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.”

Meadows noun US /ˈmedoʊz/

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

From this reading “There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:”

mistakes noun US /mɪˈsteɪks/

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.”

Napping adjective US /ˈnæpɪŋ/

not prepared or vigilant

From this reading “Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.”

runs noun US /rʌnz/

plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

From this reading “There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:”

wisest adjective US /ˈwaɪzəst/

superlative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading “Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

aheadadverbUS /əˈhed/

at or in the front

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

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 Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

catchverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

CaughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

cleveradjectiveUS /ˈklevər/

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

folksnounUS /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

foolsnounUS /fuːlz/

plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

ForestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

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 Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

getsnounUS /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

GrannynounUS /ˈɡræni/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/

in a keen or penetrating way

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

MeadowsnounUS /ˈmedoʊz/

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

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

mistakesnounUS /mɪˈsteɪks/

plural of “mistake” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

NappingadjectiveUS /ˈnæpɪŋ/

not prepared or vigilant

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

profitnounUS /ˈprɑːfət/

the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

runsnounUS /rʌnz/

plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

smartadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

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

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading There is a saying among the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows which runs something like this:

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Of course this means that Old Granny Fox is so smart, so clever, so keenly on the watch at all times, that he must be very smart indeed who fools her or gets ahead of her.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

wisestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzəst/

superlative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading Old Granny Fox Is Caught Napping The wisest folks will make mistakes, but if they are truly wise they will profit from them.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You must your eyes wide open keep To catch Old Granny Fox asleep.”

Chapter 5 of Old Granny Fox by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 Old Granny Fox contain?

Chapter 5 holds 55 sentences of Old Granny Fox, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 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 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 Old Granny Fox?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 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.