Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Oscar in Africa
Oscar in Africa

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Oscar in Africa is here in full — 93 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harry Castlemon • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Oscar in Africa
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.
CHICAGO, TORONTO.
"Who is he, anyhow?
Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"
The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Oscar in Africa

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Oscar in Africa is here in full — 93 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.
Line 2
CHICAGO, TORONTO.
/ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ tərˈɑːntoʊ/
Line 3
"Who is he, anyhow?
/huː ɪz hiː ˈenihaʊ/
Line 4
Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"
/wer dʌz hiː heɪl frʌm ənd wʌt ɪz hiː ˈduːɪŋ hiːr/
Line 5
The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

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.

chicago noun US /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading “CHICAGO, TORONTO.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
congregated verb US /ˈkɑːŋɡrɪɡeɪtɪd/

past form of “congregate” — come together, usually for a purpose

From this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gunboat noun US /ˈɡʌnboʊt/

a small shallow-draft boat carrying mounted guns; used by costal patrols

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hail verb US /heɪl/

praise vociferously

From this reading “Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
landlord noun US /ˈlændlɔːrd/

a landowner who leases to others

From this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roughly adverb US /ˈrʌfli/

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

From this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speaker noun US /ˈspiːkər/

someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)

From this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toronto noun US /tərˈɑːntoʊ/

the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)

From this reading “CHICAGO, TORONTO.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

leaned over verb + particle counted as “lean over”

In this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

8,640 times in 426,211 chapters
in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

87,341 times in 426,211 chapters
stood behind verb + particle

In this reading “The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.”

2,647 times in 426,211 chapters
hail from verb + particle

In this reading “Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"”

1,359 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 48

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 The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyhowadverbUS /ˈenihaʊ/

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

From this reading "Who is he, anyhow?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
barnounUS /bɑːr/

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CHICAGOnounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading CHICAGO, TORONTO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
companionsnounUS /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
congregatedverbUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrɪɡeɪtɪd/

past form of “congregate” — come together, usually for a purpose

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

Pending verification
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GUNBOATnounUS /ˈɡʌnboʊt/

a small shallow-draft boat carrying mounted guns; used by costal patrols

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hailverbUS /heɪl/

praise vociferously

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Who is he, anyhow?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Who is he, anyhow?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
landlordnounUS /ˈlændlɔːrd/

a landowner who leases to others

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leanedverbUS /liːnd/

past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Maritzburg

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

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Pending verification
MOUNTAINnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ROCKYadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːki/

abounding in rocks or stones

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roughlyadverbUS /ˈrʌfli/

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SERIESnounUS /ˈsɪriz/

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakernounUS /ˈspiːkər/

someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora curated lexicon
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TORONTOnounUS /tərˈɑːntoʊ/

the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)

From this reading CHICAGO, TORONTO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WARnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading AUTHOR OF "GUNBOAT SERIES," "ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "WAR SERIES," ETC., ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The speaker leaned over the little bar in the hotel at Maritzburg, and looked first at the landlord who stood behind it and then at half a dozen roughly dressed companions who were congregated in front of it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where does he hail from, and what is he doing here?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who is he, anyhow?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of Oscar in Africa by Harry Castlemon holds 93 sentences, grouped into 19 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 1 of Oscar in Africa contain?

Chapter 1 holds 93 sentences of Oscar in Africa, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Oscar in Africa by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 93 sentences, grouped into 19 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 Oscar in Africa?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 Oscar in Africa

Common questions about reading Oscar in Africa by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Oscar in Africa?

Yes. All 2718 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54954 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Oscar in Africa is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54954, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Oscar in Africa take to read?

About 226 minutes of reading across 544 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Oscar in Africa section by section

How to work through Oscar in Africa section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Oscar in Africa 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 Oscar in Africa

Words and structures a reader meets early in Oscar in Africa, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oscar in Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gunboat
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oscar in Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oscar in Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rocky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Oscar in Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.