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Old Mother West Wind
Old Mother West Wind

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Old Mother West Wind is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Old Mother West Wind
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.
Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.
Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.
In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.
Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely.
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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 Mother West Wind

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Old Mother West Wind is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.
/ˈdʒɪmi skʌŋk ˈoʊpənd hɪz aɪz ˈveri ˈɜːrli wʌn ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ənd piːpt aʊt ʌv hɪz snʌɡ ˈlɪtəl haʊs ɑːn ðə hɪl/
Line 2
Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.
/bɪɡ raʊnd ˈmɪstər sʌn wɪð ə ˈveri red ˈsmaɪlɪŋ feɪs hæd dʒʌst bɪˈɡʌn tuː klaɪm ʌp ˈɪntuː ðə skaɪ/
Line 3
Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.
/oʊld ˈmʌðər west waɪnd wɑːz dʒʌst ˈstɑːrtɪŋ daʊn tuː ðə ɡriːn ˈmedoʊz wɪð hɜːr bɪɡ bæɡ ˈoʊvər hɜːr ˈʃoʊldər/
Line 4
In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.
/ɪn ðæt bæɡ ˈdʒɪmi skʌŋk nuː ʃiː ˈkærid ɔːl hɜːr ˈtʃɪldrən ðə ˈmeri ˈlɪtəl ˈbriːzɪz huːm ʃiː wɑːz ˈteɪkɪŋ daʊn tuː ðə ɡriːn ˈmedoʊz tuː pleɪ ənd ˈfrɑːlɪk ɔːl deɪ/
Line 5
Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely.
/ɡʊd ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ˈmʌðər west waɪnd sed ˈdʒɪmi skʌŋk pəˈlaɪtli/

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.

Breezes noun US /ˈbriːzɪz/

plural of “breeze” — a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading “In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.”

climb verb US /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading “Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.”

frolic noun US /ˈfrɑːlɪk/

gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement

From this reading “In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.”

Meadows noun US /ˈmedoʊz/

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

From this reading “Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.”

peeped verb US /piːpt/

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading “Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.”

politely adverb US /pəˈlaɪtli/

in a polite manner

From this reading ““Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely.”

Skunk noun US /skʌŋk/

a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

From this reading “Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.”

snug adjective US /snʌɡ/

offering safety; well protected or concealed

From this reading “Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

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 In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

begunverbUS /bɪˈɡʌn/

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

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

BigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

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

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

BreezesnounUS /ˈbriːzɪz/

plural of “breeze” — a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

climbverbUS /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

frolicnounUS /ˈfrɑːlɪk/

gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading “Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely.

GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

JimmyverbUS /ˈdʒɪmi/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

MeadowsnounUS /ˈmedoʊz/

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

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

MerryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

peepedverbUS /piːpt/

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

politelyadverbUS /pəˈlaɪtli/

in a polite manner

From this reading “Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

SkunknounUS /skʌŋk/

a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/

offering safety; well protected or concealed

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

startingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtɪŋ/

(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

SunnounUS /sʌn/

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

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

WindnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky.

Chapter 7 of Old Mother West Wind by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 7 of Old Mother West Wind contain?

Chapter 7 holds 68 sentences of Old Mother West Wind, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Old Mother West Wind by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 7 of Old Mother West Wind?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Mother West Wind

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

Is this the complete text of Old Mother West Wind?

Yes. All 1025 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2557 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Old Mother West Wind is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2557, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Old Mother West Wind take to read?

About 85 minutes of reading across 205 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Old Mother West Wind section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Old Mother West Wind 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 Mother West Wind

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

Mother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Mother West Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Purple
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Mother West Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hills
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Mother West Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Golden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Mother West Wind; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.